The Minister of Energy and Industry H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada and Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker with other VIPs at the history-making send off of flight QR001 at the Doha International Airport, yesterday.
DOHA: Qatar Petroleum (QP), Qatar Airways and Shell yesterday celebrated the first commercial introduction of a new aviation jet fuel – the first to be approved globally in over two decades.
The innovative GTL jet fuel blended with Synthetic Parafinic Kerosene from the world’s largest Gas to Liquids plant — Pearl GTL in Qatar — is now flowing into aeroplane tanks at Doha International Airport.
The Minister of Energy and Industry H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, the Chairman of Qatar Civil Aviation Authority Abdul Aziz Al Noaimi, the Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways Akbar Al Baker and Managing Director and Chairman of Qatar Shell Wael Sawan and the Chief Executive Officer of Tasweeq Saad Al Kuwari, yesterday attended the inaugural fuelling of a Qatar Airways aircraft with GTL jet fuel at the airport. An Airbus A340-600, flight QR001 will make history by being the first to fly outbound from Doha International Airport, en route to London Heathrow using GTL jet fuel.
This is a significant milestone for the giant onshore Pearl GTL complex, which is jointly developed by QP and Shell and is the largest energy project in Qatar. Fully approved for use as an aviation fuel, GTL jet fuel is a blend of up to 50 percent GTL Synthetic Parafinic Kerosene (SPK) meeting the stringent requirements of ASTM-D-7566 and conventional crude oil-derived standard jet fuel (Jet A-1).
“The production of GTL Jet Fuel is a great achievement for Pearl GTL and the State of Qatar. GTL Jet Fuel will be supplied into the wider jet fuel pool at Doha International Airport enabling the State of Qatar to enjoy the benefits of this product. It is indeed an historic moment for Qatar that the first aviation fuel to be approved globally in the last 20 years originates in Qatar,” Dr Al Sada said.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “Qatar Airways has long had the foresight to be a leader in the field of environmental stewardship in the aviation sector. This historic Gas-To-Liquids operated flight paves the way for Qatar Airways to contribute to environmental effectiveness when it comes to the day-to-day operations of our business.”
This product launch also marks the attainment of the highest stage of the so-called Fuel Readiness Level scale in the rigorous certification and qualification process of Fischer-Tropsch Synthetic Parafinic Kerosene blends with conventional Jet A-1 and creates a true ‘Drop In’ alternative fuel meeting the latest DEF STAN and ASTM international aviation standards. The Peninsula
